Nearly as old as the city itself, Oakland Cemetery is one of Shreveport's most significant historical landmarks. Notable residents were laid to rest here as early as 1842. In a mass grave lie nearly eight hundred victims of a virulent yellow fever epidemic that struck the city in 1873. Others interred include Annie McCune, the famous Shreveport madam who operated a brothel in the city's red-light district, as well as hundreds of Civil War soldiers, city founders and the first African American physician, Dr. Dickerson Alphonse Smith. Some souls are said to haunt the grounds still. Join authors Gary D. Joiner and Cheryl White and discover some of Shreveport's oldest stories.

Gary D. Joiner, PhD, is a professor of history and the History and Social Science department chair at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He received a BA in history and geography as well as an MA in history from Louisiana Tech University and a PhD in history from St. Martin's College, Lancaster University. He is the author or editor of twenty-one books, numerous articles and technical reports and served as a consultant for the Associated Press, C-SPAN and the History Channel among others.
Cheryl H. White, PhD, is an assistant professor of history at Louisiana State University at Shreveport and is the author of numerous articles and encyclopedia entries and the recipient of numerous teaching awards. A member of the board of directors of the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society, she works to expand community interest in history, founding reading groups and facilitating fundraisers for some of Shreveport's most endangered sites. This is her third co-authored book with The History Press.